Ginger

Some people find ginger very helpful when feeling sick. People say it is particularly good for motion sickness. You can use ginger any way you like, for example as crystallised stem ginger. Or you can add freshly ground ginger to your favourite dishes, or to hot water or tea to make a soothing drink. You can try sipping ginger ale. Fizzy drinks sometimes help to reduce nausea too.

Researchers have been looking at using ginger alongside anti sickness medicines during chemotherapy. But the results so far have been mixed. So more research is needed.

Peppermint

Anti sickness bracelets

Some people wear stretchy bracelets on their wrists to help stop them feeling sick. These are also called acupressure bracelets or Seabands. The bracelet includes a hard plastic stud. You position the stud in the middle of the inside of your wrist. The aim is that the acupressure point there helps to control sickness. It may help calm the vomiting centre of the brain and reduce nausea. Seabands can be particularly useful for motion sickness. Research has looked at how well they help to control sickness caused by chemotherapy and some studies suggest that they may help. We need more research to confirm this.

Cannabis

You may also know cannabis as marijuana, pot, grass, weed, hemp, hashish or dope. Scientific names include Cannabis sativa and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabis is a plant that grows wild in many hotter regions of the world. Parts of the plant have been used for centuries in herbal remedies.

In the past few years cannabis has been the subject of a lot of medical research and in the media a lot. Possessing any part of the cannabis plant is still illegal in most western countries, including the USA and the UK. Because it is illegal, there is a lot of controversy over using it for medical reasons. Some studies have found that smoking cannabis or taking it by mouth can help to control sickness and pain in people with cancer and other illnesses. But there are concerns about possible harmful side effects, particularly if the drug is smoked.

There are over 60 active ingredients in the cannabis plant. These are known as cannabinoids. The strongest cannabinoid is the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is the basis of a man made cannabinoid drug called nabilone. Doctors use this to treat sickness caused by chemotherapy when other anti sickness drugs have not helped.

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